Cultivation
by Raiegki Leviathan
Summary: [Alternate Universe : Inspired by Final Fantasy VIII] Welcome to Radiant Garden, where students grow up to be professional Heartless exterminators. [Roxas x Sora][Vexen x Larxene][Axel x Demyx x Marluxia]
1. Welcome to Radiant Garden

**Author's Notes:** I haven't done a true alternate universe fanfiction in a long time. So I hope it goes over well. This story is based on the Garden concept of **Final Fantasy VIII**. Anyways, since gives pitiful summary space, the extended warning can be found here.

**Warnings: **This fanfiction contains **shounen-ai** and **het**. There will also be a **threesome**. If any of that does not settle well with you, please save yourself a world of pain and do not read. Thank you.

**Pairing Warnings:** This fanfiction will contain _eventual_ **Roxas x Sora**, **Vexen x Larxene**, and **Axel x Demyx x Marluxia**. There will be mention of other couples, but nothing major. The aforementioned couples are the main ones. If any of those pairings bother you, I suggest not reading and again, saving yourself a world of hurt.

* * *

**Cultivation**

_Welcome to Radiant Garden_

_

* * *

_**October 17th  
0700 Hours**

"…and over there are the student dormitories."

Roxas couldn't help but stare. Radiant Garden was nothing like his old school. He had heard that the place was vastly different from Twilight Town, but this was a bit too much. Everything was completely unfamiliar – the area, the people, and even the atmosphere. Roxas wasn't sure if he could fit in.

"…questions?"

"Um…pardon?" Roxas blinked, looking at his guide, a slender she-duck named Daisy, who was supposed to help him adjust to his new environment over the next few weeks.

"I asked if you had any questions, Roxas." Daisy repeated softly.

The blond boy shook his head. "No, but thank you for showing me around, Miss Daisy." As his guide began walking back towards the castle that served as the main building, Roxas reached into his pocket and pulled out a key with the number 0702 engraved on it. Walking along the small houses in the borough, he found the matching number and inserted the key, unlocking the door and walking inside.

He could see his luggage piled a few feet away from the door. Grabbing a bag that contained some of his clothes, he headed up the stairs and wondered what his roommate would be like and if they would get along. Passing an open door, Roxas' curiosity got the better of him and he couldn't resist peeking inside.

Lying on top of a bed inside was what Roxas could only assume was his new roommate. He was sleeping soundly on top of the blanket, face down in the pillow. Although Roxas couldn't see his face, he did get a view of the vibrant mane of spiked red hair on his head.

Without warning, an alarm clock on the nearby nightstand started to beep loudly, causing Roxas to jump back in surprise. A light groan was heard as a hand reached out to silence the offending object. Stretching, the owner of the hand sat up and unwillingly dragged himself out of bed, taking a moment to smooth out the wrinkles of the Garden uniform he was wearing.

Roxas was just about to make his escape when the other's green eyes caught sight of him.

"You must be my new roommate." the redhead smiled. "The name's Axel. Commit it to memory. What's yours, kid?"

Roxas frowned slightly. This guy couldn't be any more than two years older than him. (1) "I'm Roxas."

"Roxas, all right." Axel smiled and nodded approvingly, and Roxas could make out the odd markings beneath each of his new roommate's eyes. "You need help with your things? I got twenty minutes before class starts."

* * *

"Thanks for helping me, Axel." Roxas said, walking with his new friend towards the first class of the day. 

Axel shrugged and told him not to mention it, carrying a paper cup of orange juice in one hand. After all, they did share a couple classes, and the first class of the day just happened to be one of them.

"You said you came from Twilight Town?" asked Axel, at an attempt to start a conversation, earning a nod and a wistful sigh from the shorter boy. Roxas explained that he had always wanted to live the Garden life, but didn't want to leave his friends behind…until said friends refused to talk to someone who would "give up his dreams so easily." Truth was, Roxas was suffering from a bit of homesickness, but he felt he could adjust, for he would be writing letters to his friends often, and he'd hear back from them. They wouldn't seem so far away.

Axel chuckled. This Roxas kid was pretty interesting.

Weaving through the basement hallways of the castle, Roxas could feel himself getting slightly dizzy from all the twists and turns. How was he going to find his way around without somebody to help him? He'd have to worry about that later.

"So, what's your weapon?"

Roxas blinked, snapped out of his spinning reverie.

"Weapon, Roxas. W-E-A-P-O-N. You use it to protect yourself and all that good stuff." Axel smirked, for he was never one to resist a chance to do some teasing. "I use chakrams, see." For emphasis, he placed his cup of juice onto the ground and held out both hands at his side, the wheel-like weapons appearing in his hands in a brilliant flash of fire. Feeling rather smug, he placed both chakrams into his left hand and reached down for his drink, drinking the rest of the contents.

The blond boy huffed and glared, but the expression was more playful than angry. Holding a hand out in front of him, a ray of light blinked into existence and soon faded, revealing Roxas' chosen weapon.

Axel sputtered and dropped his now-empty cup onto the floor, thumping onto his own chest and coughing to clear his lungs. When the minor fit died down, he stared in a mix of awe and disbelief.

"You…you have a Keyblade?" Axel stared at the weapon. "You're something else, Roxas." He smiled and shook his head. The Keyblade was a unique weapon, indeed. Instead of the normal fashion of a person choosing a weapon, the Keyblade chooses the wielder, and Keyblades are notoriously picky. "You're something else."

* * *

"Class, we have a new student today." Instructor Squall Leonhart (2) gestured to the boy standing at his side. "This is Roxas. I would appreciate it if you would make him feel welcome. There is no seating chart, Roxas, so you may sit wherever you wish." 

Roxas looked around the classroom possibly hoping to find a seat near Axel, but his roommate had opted to sit in the very corner, the seat next to him occupied. He settled for sitting on the right side of the room, near the wall.

"Hello, Roxas."

Blinking, Roxas turned to look at the boy sitting next to him, a cheerful looking brunet with hair spiky enough to rival his own.

"Welcome to Garden! I'm Sora."

"Um…thank you." Roxas gave him a small smile.

Sora grinned and reached beneath his chair and grabbed a notebook, putting it onto the table. He opened it and flipped to a page with barely-legible handwriting scribbled all over it. A minute later, Instructor Leonhart had made his way over to their table and checked over Sora's notes, seemingly able to read them. The teacher handed Roxas a paper that had everything the boy needed to know. As Roxas began reading it, Instructor Leonhart continued his round across the classroom.

"…Axel, this is the third time this week you haven't done your homework." The instructor sighed, reaching up a gloved hand to the odd scar that ran diagonally between his eyes. "Any more missed assignments and you'll be failing this class."

Axel merely stared, earning himself another sigh as the instructor headed back towards his desk. Only when the teacher was halfway across the room did the redhead shift his gaze over to the student sitting next to him.

"…I know what you're going say, Marluxia, so don't bother."

"I'm going to say it anyways." Marluxia, Axel's companion snorted, narrowing his gaze. "If you'd just do a little more work, you could easily be near the top of the class. Instead, you're lingering near the bottom."

The other shrugged and waved Marluxia's words off with a flick of his hand, sending a few locks of the older boy's rustic pink hair back behind his ear. The two had met earlier in the year, when Axel, keeping true to his slacker ways, immediately plunged down in grades. Mistaking his low scores as an academic struggle, Instructor Leonhart had asked Marluxia to tutor him. The redhead was actually quite the competent student…he just didn't feel like doing work. The two spent more time bonding than studying and formed the odd friendship. Marluxia had made it his personal duty to harass Axel into doing his school work. It usually worked, as Axel would often decide that just doing the assignments was less of a hassle than dealing with Marluxia's nagging, but…well, Marluxia couldn't watch him all the time. Axel, on the other hand, was determined to get Marluxia to loosen up and have a good time.

"What's the big deal, Marlu? I know I'm good. You know I'm good. Even _Leonhart_ knows I'm good. So what else do I need, hmm?"

"You're impossible."

"I know. You've told me several times."

The conversation was cut short by the sound of Instructor Leonhart clearing his throat. Class was finally beginning.

* * *

"Roxas! Roxas, wait up!"

The blond in question turned around in time to come face-to-face with the boy he had sat with earlier in class. Sora bent over, panting to catch his breath. Once he had recovered, he looked back at the new student.

"How do you like Garden so far?"

Roxas shrugged. "It's nice."

"Made any friends yet?"

"Only my roommate." Roxas replied. "I've only just gotten here."

Sora smiled and began to talk as the two of them walked through the hallway maze. They swapped stories about their homes and compared schedules, both pleasantly surprised to discover the other was a Keyblade wielder upon seeing Keyblade Technique upon both of their schedules.

"Awesome, we have another class together!" Sora grinned, and Roxas could not help but smile back. Sora's energy and excitement were infectious. "Hey, Roxas, you need help catching up in your classes? I mean, it's only been a few weeks, but you're still behind. Want to go to the library? My friends and I would love to help you catch up."

"I've never met your friends, Sora."

"Oh, they'd like you, trust me." Roxas didn't think it was possible, but Sora's grin grew wider. "Right, so we've got a free hour until Keyblade Technique, so why don't we head that way now?" Sora's huge grin disappeared within the blink of an eye, replaced by a thoughtful frown. "Oh wait…I just remembered I left my notebook in Instructor Leonhart's class…can you get to the library by yourself? I'll meet you there." Without waiting for an answer, Sora rushed back the way they came.

Roxas watched him go for a second. Sora did everything with speed and energy and it took him an extra few seconds to understand what just happened. Well…he saw the library on his tour earlier that morning…the problem was, he didn't know where to get there from his current location.

"Hey there, Roxas!" Axel's voice echoed in the maze of hallways as Roxas' roommate and the boy Roxas recognized as Axel's table buddy approached him. "I see you made a friend."

"Hi, Axel." Roxas greeted. "Who's _your_ friend?"

"Eh?" Axel blinked and looked to his side, as if he didn't realize he was walking with someone the entire time. The other crossed his arms and gave Axel an annoyed look. "Oh, this is Marluxia. My slave driver."

"Actually, I'm his tutor." Marluxia corrected, his purple eyes narrowing onto his fiery charge. "Or at least, that was the original intent."

"And now were best buddies, aren't we Marlu?" Axel chuckled, wrapping an arm around his taller companion.

"…pals." Marluxia managed to spit out before freeing himself from Axel's arms.

"Hey, do either of you know the way to the library?" Roxas inquired. Receiving conflicting directions from both of his classmates, he decided to follow the advice of the more serious of the two, wondering what Sora's friends were like. Despite the enthusiastic boy's assurances, he was a little nervous about meeting new people.

* * *

Radiant Garden's library was a sight to behold. Tall shelves that seemed to stretch on forever lined the walls, forming passageways of books for everyone to weave through. Roxas couldn't possibly comprehend how anyone could find anything in such a huge place that was filled to the brim with books. It seemed like the faculty had wasted absolutely no space whatsoever when it came to the library. 

Looking around, he could see a few scattered students sitting at tables doing homework or searching the shelves for reading material. How was he going to find these friends of Sora's? Should he just wait by the door for Sora?

A feminine voice interrupted his thoughts. "Hello, are you lost?"

Roxas nearly jumped. This was becoming a bad habit. Roxas could only hope that all these conversations that start before he even knew somebody was there were only temporary. Once he got used to Radiant Garden, he'd be more comfortable and aware of what's gong on around him. Yeah, that was it. He turned to owner of the voice, a girl with shoulder length dark red hair. Her blue eyes seemed to stand out and Roxas noticed that she wasn't dressed in the student uniform, but rather, as a staff member.

"Hey, can you hear me?" The girl smiled, waving a hand in front of Roxas' face playfully. "I think I saw you earlier this morning with Miss Daisy. You're that new boy, right?"

He nodded and introduced himself to the girl, whom he learned was named Kairi. He mentioned that he was supposed to meet someone, and after slight hesitation, asked her if he knew who Sora was.

Kairi chuckled, lifting a hand to her mouth to keep her voice down. "Of course I do. Everyone knows Sora. He's one of my best friends. Why don't we sit down and wait for him. Let me guess. He wanted to introduce you to us, right? Well, let's beat him to it."

Taking Roxas' hand, she led him through the labyrinth of shelves. Roxas was beginning to wonder if everything in Radiant Garden was a maze. They eventually emerged on the other side of the library, where a boy with long silver hair was studying a large textbook intently.

"Riku, I've brought someone for you to meet!" Kairi cheerfully called out, forgetting that she was not only in a library, but also one of its _staff members_. "This is Roxas, the new boy."

The boy looked up from his textbook, examining Roxas through his bangs.

"I see. Sora got to you, huh?" Riku chuckled. "Heard the new guy was Keyblade user…that you?"

Roxas nodded and held out his hand, summoning his Keyblade.

"Hey! No weapons in the library!" Kairi scolded, thumping Roxas playfully. Roxas let out a fake whine and the Keyblade disappeared in another flash of light. The sound of heavy footsteps distracted the three of them, and Sora skidded into view, laughing nervously.

"I…um…got lost." Sora grinned sheepishly. He was greeted with a light hit on the head.

"No running in the library!" Kairi snorted, waggling a finger at him.

Roxas smiled. Perhaps he wouldn't have too much trouble adjusting to Garden life after all.

* * *

(1) – Ages and heights are adjusted to better integrate characters into a school setting. 

(2) – I use Squall instead of Leon because in Kingdom Hearts, Squall changed his name as a result of the Heartless attack on Radiant Garden. Since this is AU, the attack has not occurred and thus Squall still uses his real name.

* * *

**Closing Notes:** I have a feeling this is going to be a long fic, so no, this isn't the end. There are still more characters to introduce and the like. 


	2. Free Food?

**Author's Notes:** Wow, thank you all for the watches and the positive feedback. I feel so loved. I worked extra hard to get this chapter refined and finished as soon as possible. Also, as a special gift, I've decided to put up some of the notes I made while developing the story on the net for you all to see. You can find the link to them on my author profile underneath the "Fic Status" heading. For now, there is only information on the student and faculty characters from both chapters one and this one, but I'll be adding a lot more notes later on.

* * *

**Cultivation**

_Free Food?_

_

* * *

_**October 17th  
0955 hours**

He shouldn't have looked down.

Roxas gulped and stepped away from the railing, feeling a bit nauseated. Riku was definitely right. He should _not_ have looked down. But, like with everything else in Radiant Garden, he was going to get used to that as well. Roxas knew that Radiant Garden's castle was big…but he didn't think it would be _this_ high. He could hear Sora calling him, saying something about the class being in the highest room of the castle. Shaking off his discomfort, he ran to catch up with his two friends.

They ran down hallways and rode so many elevators that Roxas lost count. No wonder they decided to leave the library fifteen minutes early.

"Come on, slowpokes!" Riku chuckled, rushing ahead. "There's just a little bit more to go. How do you ever expect to graduate if you can't do a little jogging?"

"How…much…farther?" Roxas managed to gasp as he continued to run. His question was answered as soon as a large pair of doors came into view. He slowed himself down and bent over, panting as Sora arrived a few seconds later to do the same thing.

Riku mock sighed and muttered something about what weaklings his two classmates were. Both Roxas and Sora shot him nearly identical glares before the three of them pushed the doors open and walked into the room.

It was large, and Roxas could've sworn that he could hear his footsteps echo in the empty space. Was such a large area really needed for a class of _three_ students and their instructor? Keyblades were such complex and mysterious things that there was an entire class devoted entirely to the Keyblade. Roxas heard that the headmaster himself taught Keyblade Technique. He had yet to meet the headmaster, who was not just a Keyblade wielder, but a Keyblade _Master_. Someone with such a title would surely be an imposing figure, why, the only form fitting for him would be…

"Sorry to keep you three waiting."

…a mouse? Roxas blinked as Radiant Garden's headmaster came into view. Quickly regaining his senses, he, along with his two classmates, respectfully stood at attention and performed the Radiant Garden salute for him.

"You must be Roxas." The mouse smiled, holding a hand out for the boy to shake. "I'm the headmaster of Radiant Garden and your instructor for this special class, Mickey Mouse."

After shaking hands, the headmaster turned to prepare for the day's lesson. Sora leaned in and whispered into Roxas' ear, "Headmaster Mickey is the best. Trust me, there's no one better to learn about the Keyblade from." Roxas decided to take Sora's word for it.

"Now," Headmaster Mickey started. "Sora, Riku, I want you two to spar while I work a bit with Roxas here." As the other two nodded and scuttled off to the other side of the room, Radiant Garden's leader turned to his new student. "All right then, Roxas, here's what I want you to do…"

* * *

The Shadow's yellow eyes glowed as it looked around. This world was full of hearts, and how convenient! There was plenty of hearts right here for the taking! However, it wasn't able to take any more than three steps forward when it found itself trapped by walls of glass. It tried to sink into the floor, but for some reason, it was impassable. Confused, it attempted to slip back into the darkness from which it came, but found that to be impossible as well. 

"Up until now, students," A calm, rational voice echoed throughout the Great Maw, "we have only spoken about and looked at diagrams of Heartless. Today, we are examining real live specimens. Can anyone tell me what breed of Heartless this is?"

A couple of hands shot up in the crowd, the teacher casually pointed to a random person.

"It's a Shadow, Instructor Xehanort." The student responded.

"Very good." The teacher nodded in approval. "Now, I want you all to split into groups of three. Each group is to take a Heartless Containment Unit. Your task is to capture a Shadow and bring it back here. Try not to take too long. Also, do not worry about attacks. There will only be Shadows around in the area, and for extra security, there are qualified and graduated members of DRIVE's Valor division watching the area. Off you go." He smiled in satisfaction as the students began to immediate divide themselves and scatter off in different directions.

DRIVE (which stands for Darkness Response Investigation, Verification, and Extermination) was the name for Radiant Garden's Heartless Extermination force, which all students hoped to graduate to. It was also divided into four categories: Valor, Wisdom, Master, and Final. The Valor members were in charge responding to threats from the Heartless, and about two-thirds of Radiant Garden's students were studying to be a part of this force.

"Nice Heartless…be good and stay right there." A student mumbled to himself as he snuck up on a Shadow that seemed to be blind to him. "Okay, Demyx…all you have to do is scoop it up and close the HCU…ugh, why did those two decide that _I_ have to do the catching? They're always ganging up on me. It's not fair…Marluxia should be taking my side, especially since he complains about Axel so much. They're buying me lunch for this, I swear." He shot a look at his two partners as they urged him on. He then gripped the small container and opened up the latch as he crept even closer to his prey. Just a bit more…now he was within striking distance! All he had to do was-

And then the Shadow disappeared right before his eyes.

"Huh?"

"You have to be faster than that, Demyx." Oh great. He recognized _that_ voice. He thought he could hear the smirk. Standing smugly to the left was a girl holding a Heartless Containment Unit with a Shadow…_his_ Shadow, inside of it.

"That was mine!"

"Uh-huh. Sure. Whatever you say." The girl laughed, using one hand to brush back her blonde hair. "I don't see your name written on it. Wanna fight for it?" Grinning, she put the Heartless onto the floor and drew eight kunai knives, four in each hand, that were mounted onto the belt of her uniform.

"What? No! I don't want to fight!"

"Then what are you doing here in Garden? You're obviously too stupid to become a part of the Wisdom division, and if you don't want to fight, you can't join the Valor branch. You're such a loser, Demyx. Frankly, I think you should just give up and go home." The girl's sadistic grin grew wider as she advanced on her victim.

"Larxene!"

"...and I was having so much fun, too." The blonde sighed. "Hey there, Flower Boy, Fire Starter. Come to protect your precious little friend?"

Marluxia's cold gaze was known for being able to unnerve most people. Larxene was not one of those people.

"Go back to your own group." Axel said, crossing his arms. "Or did they kick you out?"

"Nah, I left on my own. No big loss. Everyone here sucks." Larxene shrugged, replacing her kunai knives and picking up her captive Heartless. "The teachers suck, my roommate sucks, and you guys suck, too."

"Wow, I'm completely floored by your beautiful vocabulary." Axel snorted.

"Shut up, Axel. I'm only talking to you guys 'cause Vexen isn't here for me to bother." Vexen, a student studying to be a part of the Wisdom branch of DRIVE, was Larxene's favorite victim in all of Radiant Garden. Her apparent purpose in life was to annoy him to the point where he would explode in rage at her. She had yet to succeed. "Well, see you retards later. Happy Heartless hunting." With that, she walked off back towards the instructor.

Demyx watched her go, still holding onto the Heartless Containment Unit. He was a particularly sensitive person, and Larxene knew and abused that fact on a regular basis. He knew that he should ignore her and that most of her taunts were just to get him to feel bad about himself, but he couldn't help but let her words poke and prod at him. And he felt there was some truth to them. While he wasn't horrible, Demyx did not consider himself a good fighter. He always became nervous and would often freeze up during a confrontation.

He felt a hand on his shoulder and he turned to look at Axel, who offered him a friendly smile.

"Larxene's a bitch, okay? Here, Marluxia will treat us to lunch, okay?"

"_What?_" Came Marluxia's disgruntled voice as he glared at the redhead. Marluxia's cold gaze was known for being able to unnerve most people. Axel was also not one of those people. The chakram user ignored the look as he kept his hand on Demyx's shoulder as they walked, searching for more Shadows.

Demyx sighed quietly and looked down at his feet. He had good friends in Axel and Marluxia. He just wished he could be more like them.

* * *

**October 18th  
0900 Hours**

Garden students, due to the intensity of their classes, were graced with the good fortune of having three day weekends, and they certainly took full advantage of them. Roxas awoke to the sunlight shining through his window and felt like spending the day in bed. However, this was not to be.

"Hey, Roxas, you awake?" Axel asked, poking his head into Roxas' room. Upon seeing his roommate, he instantly smiled. "Get up and get dressed. We're going out for breakfast."

Well, Roxas surely didn't have a choice in the matter, so as soon as Axel gave him back his privacy, he literately rolled right out of bed and searched for something decent to wear. Realizing that Axel seemed to be in a hurry for some reason, he quickly threw on his tried-and-true outfit that made him instantly recognizable in Twilight Town. As soon as he put on his second jacket, (for although he didn't want to admit it, Roxas got cold pretty easily, and the autumn chill wasn't helping any) he quickly brushed his hair to make it look somewhat passable and rushed down the stairs where Axel was waiting for him.

"You look sharp there, Roxas." Axel complimented. Tugging on a light jacket, he opened the door and gestured out it. "After you."

"But you're the one who knows where we're going." Roxas pointed out, giving Axel a deadpan look.

"Oh, right, right. Silly me." Axel chuckled, walking out the door. Roxas followed, shutting it and making sure it was locked securely. "Hurry up, Roxas, or the food will be all gone by the time we get there."

"Exactly where are we going?" Roxas asked, walking along side him. He still had no idea where they were going to eat, and why was Axel so concerned about a lack of food? Surely, any self-respecting restaurant would not be running out of supplies at nine in the morning. Half of Garden was probably still asleep, anyways.

His roommate didn't answer him as they walked deeper into the Borough. Strange, weren't the restaurants in the _other_ direction?

"Here we are."

Roxas looked around. He saw no eating establishment in sight. "…where?"

"Right here." Axel smirked, leaning one hand on a door. "Dorm number 1225. It's got some of the best free food here in Garden. Got it memorized?" He took his hand off the door, balled it into a fist, and rapped ever-so-politely on it.

After half a minute, which seemed like forever to Roxas, the door opened to reveal a student he didn't recognize. The boy's turquoise eyes blinked, looking from Axel to Roxas and then back.

"I should've guessed it was you." He sighed.

"Good morning to you, too, Demyx." Axel laughed, trapping the other in a headlock.

"Axel! Let me go!" Demyx whined, flailing in a mildly comical manner. The chakram wielder obliged, releasing his younger captive. "What are you doing here?"

"Breakfast, of course. Roxas and I are starving." Axel answered, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"…I don't remember either me or Marlu inviting you." Demyx sighed. But of course, this was Axel, and he invited himself. Turning inside the little house, he called out, "Marlu…Axel's here to mooch food again, and he's brought a friend." Turning back to his unexpected guests, he opened the door wider. "Well, you might as well come on in."

Walking through the door, Axel and Roxas' noses were immediately attacked by the scent of something that, to put it bluntly, smelled really, really good. Demyx shut the door and took Axel's coat (Roxas had politely declined the offer to take his) and hung it on a nearby coat rack. Excusing himself, their host told them to sit down and wait before rushing into the kitchen where that delicious smell was coming from.

The sound of chopping and frying could be heard as Roxas looked around the dorm. Things were considerably neater here, as neither he nor Axel really had much incentive to make their own living quarters anything more than livable. It was also a lot more…tranquil. A few scattered plants and tiny water fountains could be found throughout the place.

Axel noticed Roxas exploring his new surroundings and cracked a joke about how girly Demyx and Marluxia were. Apparently, he said it a bit too loudly, because he was answered with the threat of being kicked out with no food should he make another wisecrack.

A few minutes of waiting later, the dorm's two inhabitants came out, each with two plates of steaming vegetable stir fry. Setting the plates down on the table, Marluxia retreated back into the kitchen for forks and glasses after asking each of the others what they wanted to drink. Axel took a moment to examine his plate of stir fry.

"…kind of a small portion there, don't you think?"

"We weren't planning on you coming, though we should be, considering you drop by all the time." Demyx snapped at him. Turning to Roxas, his angry tone melted away. "Sorry it's not much, man, but we weren't expecting guests. If you're still hungry, I can make some pancakes or something."

Roxas shook his head, saying that it was perfectly fine. He was in no position to make demands. After all, he had (unknowingly) come in uninvited and he was getting the food for no cost. Marluxia returned with the drinks and the forks, and the four of them began to eat.

"It's really good, you two." Axel complimented between bites. "Like I said, Roxas, best free food in all of Garden." Demyx looked proud for a minute, but then remembered he was supposed to be annoyed. Noticing this, Axel put down his fork (for he had already finished his meager helping) and scooted over closer to Demyx. "Aww…what's the matter, Demyx? You ought to be proud that you'll make a good housewife someday. You and Marlu, you guys can cook and clean the house while your girls go out and earn the munny."

Demyx frowned and Marluxia snorted. Axel threw up his arms in defeat.

"Okay, fine, I'll stop." Getting up, Axel had the sincerity to at least push his chair back under the table. "All right, I know I've pissed you both off, I'll leave now. C'mon, Roxas." With that, Axel reclaimed his coat and walked out the door, forgetting to wait for his roommate.

"Thanks for the food, it was tasty." Roxas thanked quickly before rushing to catch up with Axel.

There was a moment of silence and Demyx slowly got up to gather the empty dishes to be washed.

"So…why are we friends with Axel again?" He asked, performing an impressive balancing act of dishes, glasses, and forks.

"…Because we like him and he is a good friend despite what a huge pain he can be?" Marluxia suggested. Behind him, the sound of the sink running provided the only background noise.

"Yeah, he's a good guy." Demyx agreed. "So, you got any weekend plans?"

"Not really. Meet up with you and Axel for lunch…I will make _him_ pay this time…come back, check on the plants, and do some homework and studying. What about you?"

Demyx seemed to take a moment to ponder this as he scrubbed a plate and put it onto a drying rack. He really didn't have much to do at all, besides the lunch date with Axel. "…I was…" He hesitated for a moment. "…maybe I'll go home."

"For the weekend?"

"No…I mean, permanently."

There was another moment of silence as Demyx put a glass on the drying rack. "…I mean, I've been thinking. Maybe Garden isn't the right place for me. I mean, I'm not smart, and I can't fight very well. I'll never make DRIVE, and sooner or later, they'll just kick me out."

More silence. Demyx looked into the next room, but Marluxia wasn't sitting there anymore. Confused, he figured that perhaps even a sympathetic listener like Marluxia got tired of his whining and self-pity. He felt the dish and sponge he was holding get taken out of his hands and he looked to see his roommate standing at his side.

"I'll finish these." Marluxia said, brushing his hair back behind his ears before scrubbing. Demyx nodded slowly, and started to walk out when Marluxia's voice interrupted him once more. "You're too hard on yourself. And like Axel said, you have to stop letting Larxene bother you. You're not stupid. I seem to recall you actually scoring _better_ than Larxene on a few tests lately, and just because you get a little scared when you fight doesn't mean you're bad. Everyone gets scared in one way or another. All you need to do is overcome your fear and you'll be just fine."

Demyx blinked. "You really think so?"

Marluxia nodded absently as he put the forks onto the rack. "For one thing, you're one of the most unique students this year. Nobody else uses a sitar to fight. Also, don't forget you are water-inclined. Water is considered one of the best elements to be aligned with for its sheer versatility, or have you already forgotten what Instructor Xaldin said? Personally, I think Garden would be thrilled to have you on DRIVE."

Demyx did in fact feel a bit better. Marluxia, one of Garden's best students, was praising him. _Him_ of all people, though he did have a little nagging in the back of his mind that maybe Marluxia was just saying all this because they were friends. And yet another voice reminded him that Marluxia was brutally honest and would never lie about something like that. His spirits lifted a little.

"I bet if you asked Axel, he'd say the same thing." Marluxia added.

He pondered this. Yes, Axel would say the same thing indeed. And that Larxene was a bitch.

* * *

**Closing Notes:** A longer chapter than before, very Demyx-centric. But worry not, for there will be more of Roxas and Sora in the next chapter, plus more of Roxas' first Radiant Garden weekend. 


	3. Stars in the Sky

**Author's Notes:** Okay, I know I've been fairly quick in updating this fanfic. However, I'm leaving on a **ten day vacation to Egypt**. I'll try to update when I get back. So don't fret if you don't see anything while I'm gone.

* * *

**Cultivation**

_Stars in the Sky

* * *

_

**October 18th  
1100 hours**

There was no denying it. Roxas was hungry. It was perfectly normal, after all, he only had about half a plate of vegetable stir fry (granted, it was very good stir fry) for breakfast. Perhaps an early lunch couldn't hurt. He offered to take Axel out as well, but was declined, since Axel already had plans for himself.

Of course, he had only been in Garden for one day, and Roxas felt a little self conscious going on his own. Traveling to the library the previous day, he felt as if he stood out, even if the only thing unusual about him was that he was a Keyblade wielder. The walk to the Marketplace seemed longer than usual and by the time he got there, Roxas thought he would collapse from hunger.

The Marketplace was where most students spent their free hours and meals. It was essentially a gathering of food booths surrounding a central eating area. Each food stand specialized in a different world's delicacies, providing a wide variety of cuisine for students.

Roxas, by nature, was sometimes indecisive. While he was not a picky eater, he liked all kinds of food and if asked, could never make up his mind when it came to what he wanted to eat. Fortunately, he saw a trio of people that he recognized apparently having the same dilemma he was.

Kairi's frown immediately disappeared the moment she saw Roxas approach. "Hey, Roxas. Wanna have lunch with us?"

"Sure," Roxas nodded. "What are you guys having?"

"We haven't decided yet." Kairi's scowl reappeared on her face. "These two, ugh, they're not picky or anything, but we can't ever decide on anything without some petty arguments first." She crossed her arms and gestured over to Sora and Riku, who had not yet seemed to notice Roxas' presence quite yet.

"How about Chinese, then?"

"No way, we had that last night."

"The lunch menu isn't the same as the dinner one, Sora."

Roxas held back a laugh and remarked to Kairi, "I'm surprised they haven't pulled their Keyblades on each other yet."

The redhead girl smiled and voiced her agreement. Sora and Riku were friends long before Kairi arrived on their home of Destiny Islands and two friends became three. Even back then they were always competing with each other, and that their relationship was centered on competition. While rivalry tore some friends apart, in Sora and Riku's case, it pushed them together. Or, in Kairi's words, to put it simply, "boys will be boys."

"Well, let's have Roxas pick then!" Sora's voice snorted.

Roxas blinked. How long had Sora and Riku known he was there?

"We're all hungry here," Riku explained. "Roxas, we've narrowed down our lunch options to two choices: Greek or French. Which do you prefer?"

"Either one is fine with me…uh…" Roxas took a quick moment to think. "…Greek, I guess."

"Ha!" Sora shouted triumphantly, pumping his fist in the air. "See? Roxas agrees with me. You're outnumbered two to one." He brought down his arm and wrapped it around Roxas' shoulders, as if he were trying to make Riku jealous. And before either boy could think of it, Kairi quickly agreed with the Greek suggestion, making the decision final. "C'mon, _Roxas_, let's head over to the Olympus stand right now." With that, he practically had Roxas in a headlock and was dragging the other boy away. "…you like lamb?"

Roxas mouthed a pathetic "help me" to Riku and Kairi, who only smiled and waved before looking for an unoccupied table to claim for the four of them.

* * *

On the other side of the Marketplace, far from where Roxas, Sora, Riku, and Kairi were sitting and enjoying their meal, another student was slowly eating, his mind more focused on the diagrams in front of him rather than his food.

_Interesting,_ he thought,_ a Wyvern's wingspan was approximately the same as the length of its body, and their talons are used for raking at and carrying their prey, rather than crushing and suffocating. After all, Wyverns were Heartless. They want the heart, not the flesh, and a still heart is of no use to them. They are agile fliers and the best way to slay them would be-_

Before he could read the best way to dispatch of the creature he was reading about, his thoughts were interrupted when a yellow and blue kunai knife dug itself into his diagram, landing right on the information blurb he had been reading off of.

He put a hand to his face. Not her again.

"Hey, Vexie," a sickeningly taunting voice called out to him, "studying again, and on a _Friday_, too. No wonder you've got no friends."

"Larxene, how many times must I tell you _not_ to call me that?"

Larxene smirked and sat down in front of the student, reclaiming her kunai knife. "Oh, _Vexen_, you know I'll never stop calling you by that adorable little nickname."

Vexen frowned at her. He knew she was doing all this just to bother him. She always did. The two of them knew each other far beyond their Garden days, and things between them hadn't changed one bit. From the beginning, Larxene was mean and annoying, always hovering over him whenever he tried to study or do homework. And all she ever did was complain. Vexen has had to listen to her rant about just about everything, from her classes to how boring her life was. Not a day went by without her seeking him out to bother.

She was like a constant in his life, albeit one that he decided could clearly do without.

"Can't you go harass Demyx or something?" He asked, irritated that his Wyvern diagrams were damaged.

"There's no challenge in it," Larxene pouted, sitting across from him. "And he's always hiding behind Axel and Marluxia. Cowardly twerp, I'm surprised those two hang around him willingly."

"It's called "friendship," Larxene," Vexen snorted, looking up. "…not that you'd know anything about that."

"Yeah, well, the same can be said for you, Vexie," Larxene smirked. "Well, I don't blame you for studying so much. I mean, you used to be the smartest guy around when we were little. And then you come to Garden and suddenly, you're not top dog anymore. Now you're only the third smartest guy around, and you suck at fighting, which puts you back in overall grades-"

"Larxene. Go away."

Larxene stopped immediately. She knew the subject of grades and class ranking was important to Vexen, but she never knew he was _that_ touchy about it. One of the things that amused her about Vexen was that no matter how much she bothered him he would not lose his composure. While Demyx gave in almost immediately, Vexen was like a brick wall that she couldn't knock down.

Looks like she found the crack in said wall now. However, knowing was only half the battle. Smiling, she got up and left the other to his own devices.

Vexen ran a hand through his long hair in frustration. The worst part of it all was that everything Larxene said was true. Vexen liked being at the top of the academic food chain. And he wasn't anymore, due to two prodigy students in Garden. While he had no grudge against said prodigies, he was upset with himself for not being able to hold onto the position he held for so long he practically took for granted.

Scowling, he turned back to his diagram. The hole the kunai made wasn't so bad.

* * *

"Roxas, if you keep that up, you could rival Sora as head glutton of our group."

Roxas paused and looked up to see Riku smiling in mild amusement. He swallowed his mouthful of food and explained that he hadn't had much to eat up until then, and was half-starved to death. Of course, that was an exaggeration, but he didn't care. The blond haired boy looked to the left to see Sora gulping down food at an alarming rate.

Kairi wrinkled her nose cutely and started to scold the brunet on his eating habits. For one thing, Sora didn't even look like he was chewing, not to mention all the sounds he was making was making her lose her appetite.

"So, Roxas, are you doing anything later today?" Sora asked once Kairi finished her reprimand. When Roxas shook his head, the other boy smiled wide. "We were gonna head into town, want to come with us?"

"Um…sure," Roxas agreed.

"Great!" Sora jumped up, meal forgotten. "Let's go!"

* * *

**October 18th  
1800 hours**

Radiant Garden was named after the place it was built in. Radiant Garden, the town, was where most students went for the weekend. It was a small town, but it had prospered when the academy was built and managed to expand while keeping its former appeal. Some would call it a modernized hamlet, though it was large enough to be a suburban town.

This was Roxas' first time in town, and he, much like a tourist, took the time to look around. Sora, Riku, and Kairi pointed out everything he needed to know, such which stores offered Garden students discounts and the best place ice cream parlor in town. (Roxas was most pleased to discover that they carried Sea Salt Ice Cream, a Twilight Town specialty and his absolute favorite flavor) They spent the day walking around, window shopping, and just having a good time. Before they knew it, the sun was setting and night was fast approaching.

After stopping for dinner, the four of them settled down in the Rising Falls near Garden. It was a place that defied physics, for instead of crashing down to ground, the water rose up the slopes, and circular slabs of earth hovered in the air like stepping stones. Most amazing of all, the water on the ground could be walked upon, there wasn't a person who has done so and went away unimpressed, no matter how many times they had done it previously.

Jumping down to an island on the surface of the water, Roxas and Kairi sat on the edge, shoes and socks off, resting their feet on the water. Riku and Sora opted to playing chase all around the area.

"You know, you're pretty special, Roxas."

"Me?" Roxas repeated. "Why? Is it because I have a Keyblade?"

Kairi shook her head. "There's more than that. You see, Sora and Riku are very friendly people, but when it comes to really close friends, there's just our little group of three. The fact that they, Sora especially, are making an effort to include you in on our activities is saying that they like you a lot."

Roxas looked down at his feet in the cool water. So he was really special? He was afraid that he wouldn't be able to make any friends in Garden. Well, that was one concern out of the way. Roxas figured that he ought to write a letter home, to the friends that were waiting anxiously to hear from him.

"So, your little group of three is now a group of four?" Roxas smiled.

"Exactly," Kairi chuckled.

"It was a group of four back at home, too," Roxas said wistfully. "It was me, Hayner, Pence, and Olette. We'd hang out together and go to the beach, and eat lots of ice cream."

"It's a wonder you aren't fat," Kairi laughed.

Roxas gave her a playful frown and explained to her in the most condensing tone he could muster, that he is an active person and gets more than the daily recommended amount of exercise.

Sora, exhausted from the intense game of tag he had just finished, plopped down next to him and removed his shoes, seeking relief for his aching feet. Riku settled himself next to Kairi and did the same as the last of the sun's rays dipped below the horizon. Above them, the stars came out one by one to shine down upon everyone in Garden.

"There are so many stars here," Roxas sighed, "There aren't even half as many in Twilight Town."

"They're there, you just can't see them," Kairi explained. "Here in Radiant Garden, there's a lot less light pollution than Twilight Town, and less stars get drowned out."

Roxas said nothing and rested on his back, looking up at the night sky. Sora, Riku, and Kairi did the same. They gazed into the beauty above them, pointing out various constellations and trying to guess which star represented which world.

It was not until a full hour had passed did they sit up and decide it was time to head back. Roxas felt a smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. He had only been in Garden for only two days, but it was already starting to feel like home.

* * *

**October 19th  
0900 hours**

Yawning, Axel stretched and pulled himself out of bed. After lunch, he was alone for most of the previous day, and to be frank, he didn't like it. One thing for certain, however, was that he wasn't going to spend his Saturday alone.

Not like he had a choice, anyways, Marluxia was going to be there in about an hour for their weekly tutoring session, which mostly consisted of Marluxia watching Axel like a hawk to make sure the redhead was not only doing his homework, but doing it correctly. Despite the work, Axel always looked forward to these sessions, for while Marluxia would be trying to get him to work, he, in turn, would attempt to get Marluxia to slack off. He had yet to succeed, but he knew his pink haired friend would cave. Eventually. Axel just needed to find the right method.

After a quick shower, Axel walked down the stairs, wondering where Roxas was. The kid went out to lunch and came back after dark. Either he had one long lunch or he went out somewhere. It was good to see that he was getting along well. At the foot of the stairs, Axel noticed a slip of paper taped to the door. He picked it up to read.

_Axel –_

_I'm going to be out all day. Don't wait for me._

_-Roxas_

_P.S. – Marluxia stopped by earlier this morning. He said you can have breakfast with him and Demyx. You're invited this time._

Oh, he was invited to breakfast this time? Well, Axel was never one to pass up a chance for a free meal and he wasn't going to stop now. Grabbing his schoolwork off a nearby table, he set out in the general direction of dorm number 1225, the best free food in all of Radiant Garden. All the while, he wondered what he should try in order to sway his friend and tutor to kick back and relax.

He wondered if Marluxia was ticklish.

* * *

**Closing Notes:** Shortest chapter yet, I know. Just slightly shorter than chapter one. Sorry 'bout that. See you all in ten days. I'll be working on the next chapter during the trip. 


	4. Summoner's Call

**A/N:** Sorry this chapter is late. It turns out I had less time to write while on vacation than I thought I did. And I've got a beta now. How strange.

* * *

**Cultivation**  
_Summoner's Call_

* * *

**October 19th  
0945 hours**

Marluxia was not ticklish.

Axel, however, was undaunted. So far, with the various ideas he had come up with to break that serious shell that his friend had, none have worked, though now he understood that Marluxia was very fond of his personal space, and did not liked having it invaded. So while Marluxia was off cleaning dishes, Axel began scheming.

"I don't get it, why are you so determined to change him?"

Breaking out of his plotting, Axel looked over to Demyx, who was lounging on the couch as the redhead was spreading out his various notebooks on the dining room table.

"No, no, no. You misunderstand," Axel snorted, lifting a finger into the air. "I am not trying to change Marluxia, you see, I am trying to bring out his inner fun side."

Axel didn't have to look at Demyx to know that the other was giving him a deadpan look. Pity, he expected Demyx to understand this great and noble quest of his. He asked if Marluxia liked cats. Who cared if Garden didn't allow pets? Rules were made to be broken. When he didn't get an answer, he suspected something was up.

Demyx usually would at least humor Axel a bit, that is, until he would get fed up with him. Axel's teasing was different from Larxene's taunts; Demyx knew that Axel did not mean a word of it, though sometimes he could not help but fall for them.

"Demyx?" Axel asked, looking up from his notebooks. "What's bothering you? It's no fun when you don't talk."

More silence. Axel snorted again, crossing his arms. Demyx was ignoring him, and Axel hated being ignored. Irritated, he put his feet up on the table. Fine, if Demyx wouldn't pay attention to him, then he wouldn't pay attention to Demyx, either.

"So, what homework haven't you done this weekend?"

Axel's leaned back in his chair to see a stern Marluxia towering over him. He smiled back at him. It appeared that somebody was still irked over having his comfort zone breached. Wordlessly, the taller boy put a hand on the back of the chair and pushed until all four legs were on the floor again. Somebody was definitely annoyed.

"And a good morning to you, too," Axel smirked. "Breakfast was delicious, by the way."

"Of course it was, otherwise, you wouldn't come here," Marluxia snapped. "Instructor Leonhart isn't paying me for nothing. So come on, show me what you haven't done so far."

On the couch, Demyx pondered Axel's words as he watched his two friends work on the dining room table. Marluxia? Have a fun side? That was completely ridiculous. But then again, this was Axel, who, once motivated, didn't stop for anything until his goal was reached. If he wanted to annoy Marluxia, then that's his choice. Grabbing a nearby pillow, he settled down for a nap.

* * *

**October 21st  
1310 Hours**

The room grew dark as smoke began to fill the room. The dark silhouette of a serpentine creature rose out from the black fog. Suddenly, it lunged forward, revealing its true form: a tiny red dragon.

"I am Mushu!" It cried out.

"This, class," the teacher said, holding the dragon in the palm of his hand, "is a Summon."

"I am more than just a mere _summon_, you know," Mushu snorted, tiny puffs of smoke flaring out of his nostrils. "I am a _family guardian_. Mulan knows what I'm talking about, don't cha, girl?"

The girl in question merely ignored him, diligently writing down notes. The little dragon kept on talking until a white feathered hand clamped down on his mouth. Mushu disappeared in a flash of light, and the instructor began to list the agenda for the day's class. Each student was to choose a summon gem or charm and summon the being that had associated itself with it. That student would then work exclusively with that summon over the next four months to form strong bonds with their summon.

A line formed near the teacher's desk, each student carefully examining each gem or charm, trying to pick one that they liked. They had no idea what would appear from what object. Sora leaned forward, trying to get a good look at the gems and charms. However, since he was near the back of the line, he couldn't see them very well. A bit disappointed, he turned to the person standing behind him.

"Hey, Roxas, which one are you going to pick?"

Roxas shrugged. He couldn't see the objects, much less pick one. As the line grew shorter and shorter, he could see much more clearly and began to debate in his mind which one to pick. What if he chose a summon that didn't like him? Ahead of him, Sora stood in front of the desk, looking at each object carefully and looking thoughtful as he put one hand under his chin.

"Hmm…"

"Just pick one already!" The instructor squawked.

"Hey, hey, this is a very important decision, Instructor Donald," Sora said. "This is going to be the summon I'll be working with for the next four months." Finally, he settled on a reddish-brown gem. He could see why nobody had chosen it yet. It was dull and ugly, completely smooth and lopsided. It looked more like a clump of mud than a jewel.

"Finally," the short duck of a teacher sighed, placing a hand on his bill. "Next."

Roxas walked up onto the desk. In the time Sora had taken to choose his summon item, Roxas had picked. Without hesitation, the blond boy went straight for the gem he had chosen, the Naturespark. Unlike the Earthshine, it was a brilliantly shining, green, translucent gem in the shape of a leaf. Returning to his desk, he looked over at Sora, who was busy rolling the Earthshine gem in his hands, inspecting it from every possible angle. Roxas took a moment to gaze at the Naturespark gem, wondering what kind of summon would come when he called. Meanwhile, the last of the students had selected their gem or charm and had returned to their seats.

* * *

**October 21st  
1900 hours**

Sora gulped down the last of his drink and slammed the empty glass down on the table. He had been waiting all day to try out his summon gem, eager to know what it would be called forth.

"Riku, Kairi, Roxas, let's go!"

The four of them ran towards the Great Maw, a huge, open chasm surrounded by high rock walls. It was late and the sky was dark, the first stars were only beginning to show themselves. Once inside, Sora and Roxas reached for their respective summon gems. Sora held the Earthshine in his hands, feeling power course through his entire body. The gem (1) began to glow as Sora instinctively swung it around and lifted it into the air, spirals of light shooting into the sky. The light came back down to the ground and swirled around, revealing the form of a lion, young, powerful, and in the prime of his life. (2)

Sora gaped in absolute awe (and slight intimidation) as the lion came towards him. The wildcat seemed to study him for a bit, circling around him and looking him over. Sora watched the lion's every move, most definitely unsure about what was going to happen.

_A Garden student._ The cat thought, seeing the Radiant Garden insignia on the navy blue uniform Sora wore. _He looks a bit scared there. Perhaps I should teach him a thing or two about Hakuna Matata._ A smile tugged on the lion's lips as he finished circling his target and stood in front of Sora, standing tall with the wind blowing through his vibrant red mane.

"My name is Simba," the lion said, sitting on the ground and dipping his head in a respectful bow.

Sora panicked, suddenly forgetting what to do. He then tried to remember what he had learned in class that day.

"_When greeting your summon for the first time," Instructor Donald had said, "they will introduce themselves and bow. Then you must give your name and bow in return."_

"I…I'm Sora," He quickly said, bowing as well. "It's very nice to meet you, Simba."

Simba nodded in agreement and nuzzled Sora's cheek.

"I have a feeling we will get along just fine," He replied. Looking around, he inspected his new summoner's friends, noticing one of them held a summon gem in his hand. "Perhaps we should let your friend meet his summon?" The great lion sat by Sora's side, giving Roxas an encouraging nod.

Roxas took a deep breath and held the Naturespark gem in front of him. It began to glow in his hand as he brought it up in golf swing motion and the light flew from the gem, plunging into the ground a few meters away, where a small pool of light rippled. Flower petals rose up from the light, swirling around to reveal a small deer fawn. The young animal pranced towards Roxas, nuzzling against the boy's hand before bouncing off to look over his summoner.

"Hullo. I'm Bambi," the fawn said, bowing politely. Roxas returned the gesture, introducing himself as well. The deer happily trotted around the boy, and it took Kairi everything she had to keep herself from squealing and running to hug the little animal. "So, do you want to play, Roxas?" Bambi asked hopefully.

* * *

A tiny fairy flew to and fro, leaving a trail of pixie dust wherever she went. Were it not for the light she emitted she would have gone unnoticed. Tapping the nose of the one who summoned her, she landed on her summoner's hand and bowed. The owner of the hand bowed as well.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Tinker Bell. I am Zexion."

The little fairy looked charmed for a moment, but her expression quickly changed to that of worry as she pointed over the boy's shoulder.

"Bambi, slow down! You're going to-!"

Too late, the deer collided, not with the boy, but a blue, transparent shield.

"Bambi!" Roxas cried, catching up with his summon, looking him over to make sure the fawn was not hurt. He looked up at the other boy. "I'm so sorry; I should've realized sooner that he was going to-" His sentence was cut short when the tiny fairy bopped him on the head, scolding him silently.

"Tinker Bell, that's enough. It's all right," said the boy. "Nobody was hurt."

Roxas looked down at his feet. "I'm really sorry, this is the first time I've summoned Bambi…"

The other boy watched him with one eye, the other obscured by a mess of blue hair. "I already said there's no harm done." He gestured to the little fairy, who had taken to hovering near his head. "This is Tinker Bell, and I am Zexion."

"I'm Roxas…this is Bambi."

Zexion studied Roxas, yes, he recognized him. Roxas was the new Keyblade wielder who arrived only a few days earlier. Zexion had seen him a couple times since he began classes.

"It was nice to meet you, Roxas, but Tinker Bell and I must be going," Zexion smiled, and then walked past Roxas towards the exit of the Great Maw.

Roxas watched him leave for a few seconds before being interrupted again by Bambi, who wanted Roxas' attention once again.

* * *

**October 21st  
2000 hours**

"So, how was your summoning?" Axel asked. The redhead was making himself quite comfortable on a chair, munching on a sandwich.

"Fine," Roxas replied, plopping himself down next to Axel.

"Doesn't sound fine," Axel remarked before taking another bite of his sandwich. "What happened?" After hearing Roxas' story, he finished the rest of his dinner and chewed, looking thoughtful. "That didn't sound too bad…you say the kid you met was Zexion? As in, "tied for number one smartest student in Garden and undisputed magical prodigy" Zexion?"

Roxas stared at him blankly. "Um…I guess?"

"Remember when I said that you were something else, Roxas?" Axel asked. "I meant it." With that, Axel headed up the stairs and disappeared into his room, leaving Roxas to ponder his words. Once inside, Axel kicked off his shoes and took off his uniform jacket, draping it over a chair. Flopping down on his bed, Axel stared at the ceiling.

His roommate had only been in Garden for four days and was already faring better than him. He wasn't _jealous_ of Roxas or anything; Axel didn't want the burden of being a Keyblade wielder. It sounded like too much work for him, having to take a separate class _along_ with Leonhart's Battle Tactics just to learn how to use the stupid thing, and Axel didn't want the multitude of friends that Roxas was getting. Demyx and Marluxia were good enough for him. They understood and accepted the fact that he was jerk, and they seemed fine with it, maybe even liked it a little.

He never said it out loud, (and probably never would) but Axel would be completely and utterly lost and hopeless without the two of them. He would have flunked out of Garden ages ago had it not been for Marluxia, and Demyx made his days a lot more bearable.

Axel sat up and wondered if his friends knew how much he appreciated them. Of course, Axel had odd ways of showing affection, but he really was grateful for them and would not trade them for anything. Sure, he was a pain to them, but he was nothing if not loyal to those he cared about.

But none of that was important. What _was_ important (or at least, important to Axel) was the fact that he didn't have a new plan on his "Bring Out Marlu's Fun Side" quest.

He was so devoted to this goal of his that a lot of Garden's students gave him odd looks. Not that Axel cared, at any rate. The opinions of most people didn't matter to him one bit, and he saw no reason to start worrying. He was his own person.

Although…all those people might have the right idea. A new plan began to form in Axel's mind. It was utterly degrading, and would probably ruin his reputation, (again, not that reputation meant anything to him) but it was something he hadn't tried yet, and would probably have a blast seeing Marluxia's reactions.

The new plan would be put into effect starting the next day.

* * *

(1) – When learning to summon, a student uses the Summon Gem or Charm until they form strong enough bonds to be able to Summon without it.

(2) – The summon sequence was slightly changed to make it work better.

**Closing Notes: **I am disheartened. It seems as if my chapters keep getting shorter.


	5. Dissonance

**A/N:** This chapter is dedicated to my beta for no real reason. You know who you are.

* * *

**Cultivation**

_Dissonance_

* * *

**October 22nd  
1615 hours**

"Did you hear?"

"Of course I did!"

Demyx shook his head and attempted to tune out the chatter by increasing the volume of his CD player. It was just his luck that he ended up sitting in front of Yuffie and Selphie, Radiant Garden's biggest chatterboxes. Sadly, they were louder than usual that day, speaking at rapid paces in hushed tones and giggles. Demyx risked hearing loss if he dared to turn up the volume any more. For some odd reason, he had a bad feeling that they were somehow talking about him. Great, someone, most likely Larxene, probably started some kind of gossip about him. Now he wouldn't be able to concentrate on that in class paper that he was _supposed_ to be doing.

"So, ladies, care to share what's got you two so worked up this fine morning?"

Praise the gods of Olympus. For once, Demyx was glad the instructor was so clever and observant.

There were two audible squeaks as Yuffie and Selphie turned around to see the teacher hovering over them.

"Nothing…nothing," Yuffie answered, looking down at her hands.

"I don't know…" the teacher responded in an all-knowing, teasing voice. "Didn't sound like nothing." He crossed his arms. "You know, this is the Espionage and Stealth class, and you're not being very stealthy."

"Sorry, Instructor Aladdin," Selphie apologized, "it won't happen again."

No sooner had the instructor turned his back to them did Selphie reach over and poke at Demyx with the eraser of her pencil. Turning around, he paused his music and removed his headphones, letting them hang around his neck.

"Is it true?" Selphie demanded.

"…is what true?" Demyx asked. Would they ever stop talking? He had work to do!

"Don't play dumb!" Yuffie hissed. "Answer the question: Is Axel really gay?"

* * *

**October 22nd  
1805 hours**

_This is the worst day of my life._ Demyx groaned. In the past hour or so, several people had come to interrogate him about things he didn't know about his two best friends, and they would all look irritated when he told them he had no answers for them. They probably thought he was just playing dumb. He really did have no idea what was going on. Apparently, something happened during Heartless Studies while he was busy filling out diagrams of Soldier Heartless to cause rumors to start circulating.

From what he had heard once he started listening to the gossip floating around and managed to get a vague idea on what was going on.

First of all, apparently, Axel is gay. Nothing new, people had been questioning the chakram wielder's sexuality for ages, and at first, Demyx couldn't possibly comprehend why it suddenly became such a hot topic. Second, and this was the part that made his head hurt, Axel was supposedly hitting on Marluxia. And of course, he has to do this publicly where everyone could see and thus start muttering to each other about it.

That was just mind boggling. Somehow, Demyx couldn't believe it was true. And if it was…was Axel really that much of an idiot, and how was Marluxia faring? Thinking about it made Demyx feel bitter, and put him in such a foul mood that many people decided not to bother him anymore. He surprised himself, while he expected to be annoyed and frustrated, Demyx never thought he'd be so moody that other students hesitated to approach him. He figured some dinner would make him feel better. A few students scuttled out of his way as he entered the Marketplace.

"Axel!"

The student in question was not there. However, a very distraught Marluxia was present at their usual table, looking very tired and well aware of the looks he was getting from the people around him. Taking pity on his poor roommate, Demyx took the seat across from him.

"Hi."

"Good afternoon, Demyx," the other responded with a tiny, forced smile. "No doubt you've heard."

"People have been stalking me all day demanding answers!" Demyx blurted out, throwing his hands up in frustration. "What the heck is going on?"

"It's Axel," Marluxia sighed. "I don't know what's gotten into him."

The conversation was cut short as a tray of food was placed between them, and behind Marluxia stood a grinning Axel, who seemed oblivious to the world around him. That, or he didn't care. Probably a mixture of both. With a wave of greeting to Demyx, Axel made himself comfortable by taking a seat to Marluxia's left. The other student looked uneasy as Demyx noticed that Axel was sitting closer to Marluxia than the pink haired boy would like. Over at a nearby table, a few people gawked.

Again, Demyx felt some kind of hostility simmering inside him. So, the rumors were true? Or was something else up? Either way, he was extremely upset and suddenly lost his appetite. Unable to hide a frown, he got up and left without saying a word.

Axel raised an eyebrow, watching him go. He did not miss that angry expression on his friend's face, wondering what the he did this time.

* * *

Few people bothered Roxas on the rumors. He figured that it was either probably because they were intimidated by the Keyblade or that since he had only been to Garden for five days and thus wouldn't know anything. Or maybe both. No matter what the reason was, he was glad that he only had to put up with a few curious minds. He could only imagine what Demyx was undergoing, having vaguely recalled that the sitar player was Marluxia's roommate. 

His plans to have a nice dinner with his friends were still good to go and he was going to enjoy it. Kairi had a library shift in an hour and he wouldn't be able to see her again until the next day. He chatted with her about her day as the other two members of their group got up to retrieve the food.

There was something about their circle of friends that somehow made them impervious to the events around them. Perhaps it was the holy trinity of Keyblades involved, but people always seemed to not bother them whenever they would go out. For this, Roxas was thankful. He didn't want someone he didn't know pestering him constantly about his roommate.

It wasn't that he knew much, anyways. Axel liked to redirect conversations back away from himself. Not that Roxas minded all too much, but Axel knew tons of things about Roxas, yet Roxas didn't know very much about Axel at all. It hardly seemed fair.

At that moment, Riku and Sora returned, each of them holding a tray of food.

"Allow me to introduce you to…your dinner," Riku grinned, sitting down next to Kairi and placing down the tray. "Hot dogs, a la carte." (1)

Sora, however, had nothing witty to say as he was stuck with trying to balance the drinks on his tray. He struggled a bit, nervous that one of them would tip over and he'd end up looking like a complete fool in front of the entire Marketplace. He let out a sigh of relief as Roxas hurried to take it the tray from him and carefully set it down onto the table.

Sora let out a distressed whine as he took his seat next to Roxas. "Thanks…man, those people won't shut up about Axel and Marluxia. Who cares what they do on their own time? As long as it's not hurting anyone, they should be left in peace, right?"

"And in turn, leaving us in peace," Riku added. "I hate gossip."

They left it at that as the four of them started eating. Sora was most horrified to learn that Roxas only used mustard on his hot dog. What kind of normal human being did not like ketchup on his hot dog? Roxas insisted he was perfectly normal. After all, perfectly normal people routinely get chosen to be Keyblade wielders all the time.

* * *

**October 22nd  
1930 hours**

Without Kairi around, the three Keyblade wielders felt as if they had a certain amount of freedom, since it was just "the guys" now. While they really were a bit disappointed that they couldn't include Kairi on the night's fun, they did feel a sort of elation that it was just them for the night.

Apparently, that was why they were in Riku and Sora's dorm, something Roxas had never seen before.

The place was about as neat as his and Axel's dorm. Nothing surprising, but theirs seemed a lot more cozier and welcoming, probably because Riku and Sora had known each other since childhood and probably worked well with each other. Kairi, too. It made Roxas feel a little jealous. Although the trio liked him and were always friendly and considerate to him, he felt like he would never have the same bonds that they had.

Suddenly, he had the urge to write home. Hayner, Pence, and Olette felt so far away. He wondered what they'd say if they could see him. Olette would probably remind him that he had homework to finish.

"Hey Roxas, do you play Triple Triad?"

"Triple what?" Roxas asked, genuinely confused.

"It's the biggest card game here at Garden," Riku explained. He then snapped his fingers. "Right, you haven't been here long. Of course you wouldn't know about it." The older boy disappeared into the kitchen and emerged with a small wooden box. Sora followed the suit, having gone to pull off a box of his own from a nearby table. "We'll teach you how to play."

Roxas watched with interest as Riku and Sora each selected five cards from their boxes, explaining that there were multiple rules for Triple Triad and the game could change drastically depending on which ones were in place. After laying their cards down on their respective sides of the table, Riku took out what appeared to be a three by three grid and placed it in the center. There, they each took turns laying the cards down, telling Roxas how the game worked on the most basic level.

Once all nine spaces were filled, Riku grinned in triumph as he had won the game and promptly laid claim to one of Sora's cards.

"Aww…not the Defender card," Sora groaned. "That's one of my favorites."

"You'll just have to win it back, then," Riku replied. He then invited Roxas to try. They wouldn't play with a trading rule, of course. It wouldn't be right since Roxas was not only a beginner, but had no cards of his own. "Sora, you help him out."

Together, Sora and Roxas searched through the box of cards. It was pretty obvious that Riku was the superior player of the pair, for Riku's collection of cards was a bit larger than Sora's and probably contained better cards. Still, there were still some good cards with high numbers there, so there was a chance. After all, strategy was half the battle.

Riku took the first move, placing a card of a Tornado Step Heartless in one of the corners. Sora hovered over Roxas' shoulder, reaching over to point at one of the cards and whispering where he should put it. It felt strange to have someone watching your every move, but Roxas knew that Sora was only trying to help.

However, they were no match for Riku, who managed to win by a margin of eight cards to one, a most humiliating defeat indeed. Roxas didn't expect to win, of course. It was pretty obvious that Riku was a good player and he did have superior cards.

Sora, of course, was disappointed that even the combined might of Roxas and himself could not overpower Riku. Roxas patted his back in pity.

"We have to beat him next time!" Sora declared. "Roxas, tomorrow, you, me, in town, buying cards."

* * *

**October 22nd  
2248 hours**

A young girl wandered throughout the library. Someone had requested a book and she was on her way back from having retrieved it. However, since Radiant Garden's library was so huge, it would take her a while to get it, even though she knew every inch of the area by heart. By the time she got back, her shift would be almost over, and that was probably going to be the last person of the day, as the library closed at the same time.

Or so she thought.

As she walked past the biography section, she caught a glimpse of a student sitting at one of the tables. However, he didn't seem to be doing anything, not homework, not reading, or anything else for that matter. In fact, he looked asleep, resting his head on his arms, lying face down on the table.

Ah, perhaps he had fallen asleep after an intense study session. However, the girl looked at the table and saw no book in sight. She wouldn't want this poor boy to wake up and get locked in for the night. After all, the library could be quite scary looking with all the lights off. She crept over to him and nudged him gently.

"Excuse me," she said, "but the library closes in twelve minutes. You should really be going back to your dorm."

"Don't…want to," answered a feeble voice.

_I wonder why?_ The librarian thought. However, it wasn't her place to pry. However, she really did need to get this student out.

"You can't stay here," she continued, "you'll be locked in."

"Then lock me in," the student responded, as the student finally stirred and sat up. "I don't want to go back, not now. I don't want to see them, either of them."

"There you are," a new voice interrupted. "I was wondering where you had gotten to."

"Ah, Zexion!" The librarian said. "I'm sorry, I was going to get that book you wanted, but I found this boy asleep here and…"

"It's quite all right," Zexion replied. "The library closes soon, and you just wanted to make sure that he got out before he got stuck here. Is that right?"

The girl nodded. Zexion could sometimes be a bit creepy with his remarkable intelligence and observational skills. But for the problem at hand here…it didn't seem like this other student wanted to leave, and nothing she said could change his mind. Zexion put a hand on the stubborn boy.

"Hey, like she said, you can't stay here."

He got a muttered reply that only repeated what he had said earlier to the girl. Zexion thought for a moment on how to solve this predicament.

"Well, if you don't want to go back to your dorm, I guess you can stay with me and my roommate. But only for one night."

The student's turquoise eyes lit up at the offer and he immediately accepted, getting up slowly, as if he hadn't moved for quite a while.

"Thank you, Zexion," the girl said, handing him the book she was holding. "I didn't know what I was going to do."

"It's no problem at all," Zexion smiled, taking it. "Have a good evening, Naminé."

* * *

(1) – Can you guess which movie this line is from? 

**Closing Notes:** Time jumps over the next chapters will get bigger and bigger.


	6. Mother

**A/N:** Somebody please smack me for my inexcusable lateness.

* * *

**Cultivation**

_Mother_

* * *

**October 22nd****  
2343 hours**

"Zexion, don't you think you're overstepping it a bit?"

"Don't worry so much," Zexion smiled, looking at the guest he had invited into his dorm, dozing away obliviously. "What's the harm in offering a bit of hospitality to a fellow student?"

"I wish you would at least ask me first."

"Oh, come now," Zexion chided, "it's not as if you were going to say no." His roommate looked further displeased when he realized that Zexion was, indeed, correct. He wouldn't have refused his request. But still, that didn't mean that the magical prodigy could do as he pleased. The two of them were equals, after all.

"You're losing sight of your mission," he snorted.

"Oh, no," replied Zexion, back turned to his roommate. "I haven't forgotten it at all. Something big will be happening soon, and he's going to be all caught up in it."

The other boy narrowed his eyes, clearly annoyed. Zexion was being difficult on purpose, the wretched little thing. However, at the same time, he was rather pleased that Zexion seemed to be enjoying something. While Zexion was publicly smiling and polite, in private, the student was bored out of his mind and eagerly waiting for something exciting to happen.

And by "something exciting," he didn't mean that trivial gossip that's been flying around.

Still, Zexion seemed to be growing an ego of sorts lately and frankly, it was surprising that it was taking this long to develop since the shorter student had much to brag about. It was up to his roommate to keep it in check. "Are you a prophet now?" He challenged, raising an eyebrow and crossing his arms in contempt.

An amused smile crossed Zexion's face and he let out a light chuckle. "You know it as well as I. Go to sleep, Lexaeus, everything will look brighter in the morning."

* * *

**October 23rd****  
0700 hours**

_Click._

The sound did not escape Marluxia's ears. It was the sound of the doorknob, or more specifically, the sound a doorknob makes when it's locked and somebody tries to open it. A quick logical check told him who it was. Despite being a complete jerk and the living embodiment of the word "frustration," it wasn't Axel. He at least had the courtesy to knock before barging in. Nobody else ever came to visit, so it must have been…

Immediately, he got up, undid the latch, and yanked the door open. Standing there, with a blank look on his face and a key in his hand, was his roommate.

"Do you know I almost called to report you missing?" growled the older male. "Where have you been?"

It was a simple question, and under any other circumstance, Demyx would have been able to answer it easily. Under the cold, unforgiving, and seemingly unblinking gaze of Marluxia's, it was a different story altogether.

"Never mind," Marluxia continued. "It's not that important. You do know classes start in an hour, right? You better get ready now."

* * *

**October 23rd****  
1913 hours**

It was like watching children in a candy store.

Riku stifled a yawn as he hovered near the entrance of the local bookstore. Despite the fact that Garden had a library where students could check out books for free, it was filled entirely with informative books that students used to complete assignments. Thus, if anyone wanted a good fiction or a magazine to read, the bookstore was the place to go. It was a local hangout of theirs for would always visit it once a week. But this time, they brought the newest addition to their little group, Roxas, along. The two boys were hovering over the Triple Triad stand, with Sora jabbering along to a confused Roxas who seemed to be doing his best to keep up. Kairi stood a few feet away, examining the bookshelves for something to read between library shifts.

Faintly, he could hear Sora asking Kairi if she'd buy some cards for him, promising to pay her back later. Because she was a staff member at Garden, Kairi received a discount on anything she bought from the bookstore. Students also received discounts, but a staff member received a bigger discount.

Kairi calmly, politely, in her "big sister voice," told him to kindly pay for his own purchases.

Their cards and books bought, the four friends headed towards the Rising Falls, wanting to spend the rest of their Wednesday evening sharing stories under the night sky. As the first of the stars began to show themselves, the four of them relaxed on their backs, gazes fixed on the heavens above them.

"Roxas, tell us more about Twilight Town," Sora said.

Before the other boy could reply, Kairi interrupted.

"Sora, you ask too many questions," she giggled. "We know a lot about Roxas, but he hasn't had the chance to get to know more about us. Come on, Roxas, ask a question."

Roxas took a moment to think. He wasn't sure what he wanted to ask. There was a lot about Sora, Riku, and Kairi that he didn't know.

"What are your families like?" He finally asked.

"I have a sister," Kairi answered. "You might have seen her, her name is Naminé, the blonde girl in the library."

"Are you twins?" Roxas prompted.

There was a short pause as Kairi smiled. "No, we're not twins. She was adopted into the family when we were about four years old. She's still my sister, though, even though we're technically not related."

Because he had never known anyone who was adopted, or had adopted siblings, all Roxas could manage upon learning this new information was a very blank sounding, "oh," feeling very embarrassed for sounding so stupid. Kairi smiled again and told him not to worry. Most people had that reaction when they learned about her family.

"I'm an only child," Sora said once Kairi had finished talking. "Um…I don't have anything cool about my family like having an adopted brother or sister…er…my mom makes great spaghetti?" He had hoped Roxas would have some sort of question for him like, "what kind of spaghetti?" or "does she make good lasagna too?" but was instead met with silence. Sometimes, Sora wished he had a more exciting family.

The silence lingered for a few minutes. Roxas had expected Riku to begin describing his own kin, but the older boy looked distracted, staring at the rushing water for a few minutes. Before anyone could ask if he had been paying any attention at all to the conversation, Riku began to speak.

"My mother died when ten years ago, when I was six," he began. "She fell severely ill one day and never fully recovered. She was weak…and even the slightest cold would put us on edge. I brought her gardenia flowers every day…they were her favorite. She always said she liked their smell."

Roxas was afraid to press further. So Riku did it for him.

"She died one day, while I was at school. I remember it clearly…after that…it was just me and my father. He did his best to take care of me."

At that moment, Roxas felt conflicted. He realized he was very fortunate to have both his mother and father, both of whom loved him very much, although they were a bit apprehensive about his decision to go study at Garden. However, at the same time, he also felt sympathetic towards Riku and his loss, unsure of how he himself could deal with the loss of someone he cared deeply about. It sounded like Riku's mother was of the utmost importance in his life.

Riku seemed to sense Roxas' discomfort and offered the offered the blonde a smile.

"You don't have to feel bad for me," he said. "I'm fine. In fact, that's why I'm here, in Garden, so that I can make myself useful by protecting people who can't defend themselves. I know my mother would have been proud of me."

It was a noble reason, one that many Garden students shared as their motivation of taking on the Garden curriculum. Yet, others chose the path for their own reasons. Roxas himself decided to attend Garden because he thought it was the right choice for him, and the Keyblade he held apparently agreed with that choice.

"That's enough about that," Riku said after a moment. "Let's not talk about depressing things. Care to show me the cards you two bought?"

* * *

**October 26th  
1040 hours**

"Hey there, Fire Starter, what's wrong?"

When she didn't get an answer, Larxene frowned. Her prey was not taking her bait. That was no fun. Axel was usually ready to exchange insults with her. It helped her keep her tongue sharp. Well, she wanted to have a verbal fight, and to get it; all she would have to do is prod a little harder.

"Oh, I get it now. You had a fight with your _boyfriend_, didn't you?"

"Be quiet, I'm trying to think," Axel snapped at her, finally acknowledging her presence.

"You? Thinking? In class, no less?" Larxene let out a fake gasp of surprise and for dramatic effect, placed a hand to her forehead and pretend like she was going to faint from the shock. As soon as she was done, she instantly placed both elbows on the desk and rested her chin in her hands. "What about?"

The reply was calm and frank. "None of your business."

"So, it isn't about school work, then?" she mused. Axel thought he could hear the little gears in her brain turning. Crafty girl.

"If you really must know, I'm planning my next move."

"On Flower Boy, you mean? You're really serious about him, then?" It was just like Larxene to fill in the gaps of a conversation with whatever was going on in that head of hers. At this point, any biting edge in her voice was put at bay, and she sounded like she was genuinely interested in what he had to say. Probably so she could spread it later as gossip. Axel had learned very quickly to be wary when Larxene's voice loses its usual scathing tone.

Axel snorted and dismissed her statement with a casual wave of his hand. He thought to wave some flames in her face, but that wouldn't do him any good. "No, it's part of my plan to make him less of a humorless workaholic."

"Why's it matter so much to you?" Larxene asked, bemused. "If he wants to work himself to death, let him. Give it a thought, Fire Starter, maybe there's more to this little stunt you're pulling than you think." And with that, she got up in search for someone who would actually respond to her taunts, leaving Axel to ponder her words.

Why did it matter so much to him? The answer was obvious, wasn't it? Axel wanted to get his fellow student to loosen up and enjoy life for once. Or at the very least, get more sleep. Marluxia didn't exactly look his best lately, and everyone around him noticed. His patience thinned each day and often looked visibly exhausted, yet he still somehow managed to stay alert and ready.

He would make an excellent DRIVE member, Axel had figured. He'd go far, but not if he so blatantly ignored his own health like that.

Sometimes it was okay to just goof off. Axel would even claim it was healthy. After all, it's done wonders for him. Perhaps he did overdo it, teetering on the edge of failing his classes, but it was his style. He'd pull through in the end. Always had, always will.

What others saw as an attempt to annoy and corrupt his tutor, Axel saw as an earnest attempt to help his friend. Not that the annoying and the corrupting weren't a fun bonus along the way, of course.

At least, that's what Axel thought.

_Give it a thought, Fire Starter, maybe there's more to this little stunt you're pulling than you think._

As if. What did Larxene know about anything besides making the lives of others miserable, anyways?

Still, her words rang through his mind like a cryptic message. That just wasn't right.

* * *

**November 2nd  
0715 hours**

_Dear Hayner, Pence, and Olette,_

_How are you guys? It's been almost two weeks since I started classes in Garden. Things have been pretty good. The teachers, overall, are pretty nice and helpful._

_I suppose you've all been wondering what the people here are like. They're mostly regular people like us. They like a lot of the same things we do, and it's fun to meet people from other worlds. Everyone's so unique, but in the end, we're all here at Radiant Garden, studying under the same teachers, working for the same goal. We'll all be teammates someday. It's like we're all so different, we've become a group all of our own._

_I've made a few friends since arriving and they're all great. You guys should meet them sometime. If you come to visit during a weekend or something, I'd love to introduce them to you._

_So how's everything in Twilight Town? Are Seifer and his gang causing trouble again? Did you guys go to the beach? Did Setzer win the Struggle tournament like he always does? Anything really exciting happen? Did you finish your homework?_

_You can tell I really miss home, can't you? But don't worry about me; I'm actually really happy here. Garden was everything I ever dreamed about and more. It's literately a dream come true, and I would've missed it all if it weren't for you three._

_Thanks for shunning me until I came to my senses. You guys are the best._

_Hope to hear from you soon,_

_Roxas_

"You said it's bound for Twilight Town, kupo?" the Moogle courier asked. Upon conformation, the small creature nodded. "Right, everything's in order, kupo. We'll have it delivered to Twilight Town by Monday. From there, the local post service will take care of it. I would guess it would reach the recipient by Tuesday."

* * *

**A/N:** No footnotes, wow…um…other than that, forgive me, please. 


End file.
